Cotton doffing mechanism



1954 R. c. FERGASON COTTON DOFFING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 3, 1951 Oct. 12, 1954 R. c. FERGASON COTTON DOFFING MECHANISM '3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 3, 1951 Mn ,8. guga/ap/w {W t mm Oct. 12, 1954 c FERGASQN- 2,691,265.

COTTON DOFFING MECHANISM Filed May 5, 1951 3 Sheets-Shaet 3 Z/ 38$ 2/ o o 0 g Ema/Kalb 0 g 354 Y J zoCa/z .2. $449040 Patented Oct. 12, 1954 COTTON DOFFING MECHANISM Rector C. Fergason,

Gadsden, Ala., assignor to Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application May 3, 1951, Serial No. 224,408

4 Claims. 1

This invention irelates to certain new and useful combinations in spindle type cotton picking machines and more particularly to means for removing bolls of cotton from stripping devices and directing same into a conveyer.

An object of this invention is to provide an efficient stripper cleaner combination in which contact between picking spindles and the stripper cleaner is prevented.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved cleaner device for use in connection with the stripping mechanism of a rotary spindle type cotton harvester, and which will efiiciently remove cotton from that part of the stripping mechanism at which the free ends of the picking spindles recede from gaps between adjacent stripping shoes and at which part of the stripping mechanism plugging or clogging, due to adherence of cotton to the stripping mechanism, is most likely to originate.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved stripper cleaner device including a guard member therefor which eliminates wrapping of cotton or other matter such as vines about the cleaner device.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved stripper cleaner device which revolves at a slow rate of speed and which is adapted to move and guide picked cotton contacted at the spindle exit end of a stripping device into the receiving end of a conveying device.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved stripper cleaner device including a guard member therefor which eliminates wrapping of material about the cleaner wheel and wherein the guard member is provided with a portion for guiding picked cotton from the cleaner wheel to a conveying device.

Accordingly, the present invention may be con sidered as comprising the various features of construction and/or combination as hereinafter more fully set forth in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a cotton picker unit with some parts removed for the sake of clarity of illustration showing the particular application of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the picker unit illustrating the invention and related parts with the upper portion of the elevator removed for sake of clarity;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the stripping mechanism, the section being taken along the line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a portion of the cleaner wheels assembly;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing a cleaner wheel, a pair of stripping plates and a series of picking spindles, the wheel and plates being shown inclined at an exaggerated angle for purposes of explanation. I

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but with the cleaner wheel positioned differently; and

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Figs. 6 and 7 but with the cleaner wheel and stripping plates positioned differently.

Referring to the drawings, the invention, for purposes of illustration, is embodied in a cotton picking unit which is adapted to be supported from and operated by a tractor or similar wheeled device (not shown). This picking unit is supported from a wheeled device by means of a pair of brackets 6 and l, bracket 6 being attached to transverse picker frame member 8 and tolongitudinal frame members 9 and l I, while bracket 1 is attached to transverse frame member [2.

The picking unit includes a pair of vertically spaced driving sprockets 13 (see Fig. 3) attached to drive shaft I4, rotatably supported at the rear end of the picker unit. A pair of vertically spaced idler wheels It only one of which is shown (see Fig. 1) are attached to shaft I1 which is rotatably supported at the forward end of the picking unit; upper and lower driving chains l8 only one of which is shown (see Fig. 2) are drivenly engaged with sprockets l3 and pass about idler wheels !6; and a series of vertically extending picking spindle retaining slats I9 are pivotally attached at their ends to upper and lower driving chains l8. Each slat rotatably mounts a series of vertically spaced horizontally extending picking spindles 2|. These spindles are journaled. at one end thereof in the slats and the opposite or unsupported end of the spindles are available for picking cotton. At the upper end of drive shaft M an additional pair of vertically spaced sprockets 22 and 23 are attached for rotation therewith. Sprocket 22 is connected by a driving chain to a sprocket of gear box 24 (see Fig. 1) which has a splined input shaft 26 connectable with a power source (not shown) L Sprocket 23 is drivingly chain connectedwith elevator drive shaft 21 which is rotatably journaled in. a plate carried by transverse frame member 28 which also supports gear box 24.

Shaft 21 extends vertically and by conventional means (not shown) is drivingly connected to the upper end of conveyer 3D for operating same. The longitudinal and transverse frame members previously mentioned are suitably supported from the picking unit floor member 29 by Vertical support members (not shown).

Spindle moistening means 3| (see Fig. 1) are provided at the forward end of the picking unit which moistening means are operative to apply a film of moisture to each spindle prior to its entrance into the picking tunnel 32 of the unit. The chains l8 move in the generally horizontal oval path shown in Fig. 1 and in the direction in.- dicated by the arrows in such figure. A stalk guiding assembly 33 carried by the forward portion of the picking unit directs cotton plants into picking tunnel 32 as the unit is moved through a field. While in tunnel 32, picking spindles 2| the slats as they :leave sprocket I 3.

are caused tofollow bowed out horizontal paths by frame member I I which functions as a guide for chains I 8 as they move through the picking tunnel. And also while in tunnel 32, spindles 2] are caused to rotate by engagement with frictional means (not shown) positioned adjacent frame member H and by .such rotation of the spindles, lint from open cotton bolls is wound about the spindle and is thus picked from the plants.

Positioned adjacent the rear end of the unit is a slat hold back disk 34 carried by longitudinal frame member 36 which functions to slow down Just forwardly of hold back disk '34 is a slat hold back guide .37 also carried by frame member 36 and which positions the slats and spindles in proper relation .to enterbetween stripping elements 38. As is indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the stripping ele- .ments 33 are mounted in a substantially vertical series on channel member 39 which is suitably attached at its upper end to transverse frame member 4| carried by longitudinal frame members 9 and 36 and at its lower end to floor member 29, so that adjoining elements 38 have only .suiilcient clearance to permit passage of a spindle therebetween. As the rearwardly inclined spindles with lint removed from open bolls of cotton wrapped therearo-und move forward, they pass between the opposed surfaces of adjacent stripper plates 38a and 38b, and the cotton is thus stripped off by the rear edges of the stripper plates, .the spindles being slightly defiected vertically as they are drawn through the stripping devices, as will be more fully explained hereinbelow.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it will :be seen that .thenose portion of each stripping shoe 42 is split and that, therefore, the oppositely facing side edges may be readily adjusted toward or away from each other and consequently toward or away from the opposed edges of adjacent shoes simply by tightening or loosening bolts 43. Tightening bolts 43 forces spreader plate 44 deeper into the trough shaped portion of the shoe thereby spreading the sides of the shoe apart or closer to the adjoining shoe; whereas loosening bolts 43 permits compression springs 45 to 'move the spreader plate outwardly of the trough which in turn permits the sides of the shoe to move toward each other. It will be noted that as the spindles recede from the gaps between adjacent stripping shoes 42 and are about to lose contact with the stripping shoes, the unsupported ends of the spindles are in contact with end portions of the lower stripping shoes at the spindle exit end of the stripping mechanism.

.A cleaner device for the stripping mechanism is mounted adjacent to the spindle exit end of the stripping mechanism and includes a cleaner shaft 46 extending transversely of stripping elements 38 and which at the upper portion thereof is journaled in a plate 41 (see Fig. 3) attached to channel 39 and at the lower end is journaled in a plate 48 attached to channel 39. The upper end of shaft 46 has a gear 49 which is drivenly chain connected to conveyer shaft 21. At vertically spaced intervals on shaft 45, radially extending scalloped wheels are attached thereto for movement therewith. As is seen in Figs. '2 and 4 the direction of rotation of the wheels is such as to remove cotton from the spindle exit end of the stripping mechanism and direct same toward the receiving portion of conveyer 30 which conveys the cotton to a point of collection (not shown). It is to be noted (see Fig. 3) that there is provided a scalloped wheel 5| for each horizontal row of spindles and that each wheel lies in a plane above the corresponding row of spindles. The unsupported ends of the picking spindles as they leave the stripping shoes 38 are in contiguous relation to the cleaner wheels but do not contact same. A guard plate 53 which is carried by channel 39 extends lengthwise of the shaft 46 in the space between the latter and the spindle exit end of the stripping mechanism as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Aseries of vertically spaced slots 50 are provided inguardmember .53 so as to register, respectively, with .the wheels .or cleaning disks 5| and so that .thelatter can extend through these slots at an intermediateportion of the guard member with the periphery =of the wheels being in contiguous relation .to .the stripping devices and positioned substantially in line with the upper stripping plate .39a..of .each pair of stripping plates. Guard member 53 ipre vents cotton or foreign material .contacted .by wheels 51 from wrapping around same. .Imperforate end portions 54 of guard member 53 which extends parallel to theshaft 46 and locyond the peripheries of the cleaning .disks 15' functions to guide cotton removed from the spindle exit end of the stripping device by rotation of the scalloped wheels or disks .55! substantially horizontally into the receiving end -of .conveyer 39.

After the picking spindles leave .thestripping mechanism they drop down below .thetcleaner wheels and regain their normal horizontal path of movement (see Fig. 3) and return to the moistening means 3| where thecycle of picking cotton is repeated.

One of the problems in providing efficient means for removing cotton from thespindleexit end of the stripping mechanism isto :providexa cleaner device which will not be contacted .by the picking spindles. Any contact between .cleaner and spindle will do considerable damage to:-both and thereby reduce the efiticiency of each.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 6, it is seen that zapplicant has solved this problem 'by positioning cleaner wheels 51 so that the lower surface of each lies in the same plane as the upper stripping plate 38a of the adjacent stripping device and by mounting the stripping devices 38 so that -the stripping surfaces thereof are not in horizontal planes. At the spindle exit end of thestripping mechanism the corresponding ends of the stripping shoes 38 are approximately an eighth "of an inch higher than the end portions of thestripping shoes at the spindle entrance "end 'of the stripping mechanism. As a result of thezcleaner wheels being positioned in planes above the spindle paths and because the spindles on ileaving the stripping mechanism tend'tospring down into the horizontal plane in which they'ordinarily move 'as shown in Fig. 6, destructive contact between stripper wheels and spindles is avoided in the event that the cotton picking machine should be out of adjustment so'that the spindles extend farther through the stripping mechanism than shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

If desired (see Fig. 7) the cleaner wheels could be positioned within the planes of spindle movement as the spindles passthrough the stripping devices because the spindles .on leaving the device should spring downwardly and pass below the cleaner wheel. This, however, would leave very little clearance and there would be more chance of contact between spindle and cleaner wheel. For this reason, applicant prefers the embodiment shown in Fig. 6.

If desire-d (see Fig. 8) end portions of the stripper shoes at the spindle exit end of the stripping mechanism could be lower than at the spindle entrance end and the cleaner disks could be mounted below the planes of spindle movement while in the strippers and the spindles on leaving the stripping devices would tend to spring upwardly. Under such circumstances it would be advisable to position the cleaner wheels 51 in alignment with the lower stripping plate 331) of each device.

Some of the features of the present invention are applicable to the construction and operation of apparatus difierent from that disclosed herein for the purposes of illustration, and therefore it is to be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the particular features and details described hereinabove and that the invention is to be considered as including such other forms and modifications as are fairly embraced within the scope of the appended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a cotton harvester of the type wherein lint from open cotton ibolls is wound up on rotating picking spindles and subsequently removed from said spindles by passage of the latter through a mechanism including a series of stripping elements spaced apart and defining a plurality of elongated gaps for the passage of spindles therethrough, said gap forming strip-- ping elements having opposite spindle entrance and exit ends, respectively, the combination of said stripping mechanism and a cleaning device therefor comprising a rotably mounted shaft extending transversely of said stripping elements and spaced from the exit ends thereof, a guard plate disposed between the exit ends of said stripping elements and said shaft, said guard plate having an imperforate end portion positioned to guide cotton away from said stripping elements and shaft and having an intermediate portion disposed in spaced shielding relation to said shaft and provided with a series of slots therethrough arranged in generally opposite relation to the exit ends of said gaps, and a series of cleaner disks secured to said shaft to extend radially therefrom and through said slots sufficiently to expose radially outer circumferential portions each hav ing a peripheral edge part dis-posed in proximate, longitudinally opposite relation to the exit end of the adjacent stripping element.

2. In a cotton harvester of the type wherein lint from open cotton bolls is wound up on rotating picking spindles and subsequently removed from said spindles by pass-age of the latter through a mechanism including a series of stripping elements spaced apart and defining a plurality of elongated gaps for the passage of spindles therethrough, said gap forming stripping elements having opposite spindle entrance and exit ends, respectively, the combination of said stripping mechanism and a cleaning device therefor comprising a rotatably mounted shaft extending transversely of said stripping elements and spaced from the exit ends thereof, a guard plate disposed adjacent the exit ends of said stripping elements and having an intermediate portion disposed in shielding relation to said shaft and pro- 6. vided with a series of slots therethrough arranged in generally opposite relation to the exit ends of said gaps, said guard plate having an imperforate end portion positioned to guide cotton away from said stripping elements and shaft, and a series of peripherally scalloped cleaner disks secured to said shaft in med, axially spaced relation to each other so as to extend radially through said slots sufficiently to expose radially outer circumferential portions each having a peripheral edge part disposed in proximate longitudinally opposite relation to the exit end of the adjacent stripping element.

3. In a cotton picking machine having a set of cotton gathering spindles normally traveling in a horizontal plane and a pair of vertically spaced stripping plates defining therebetween an elongated gap for the passage of spindles therethrough, said stripping elements having opposite spindle entrance and exit ends, respectively, the improvement comprising means mounting said stripping plates in generally parallel relation to each other and in angular relation to said horizontal plane so that the spindle entrance end of said gap will lie substantially in said plane with the spindle exit end of said gap vertically displaced relative to said plane and relative to the spindle entrance end of said gap, and a rotary cleaner member positioned adjacent the exit ends of said stripping plates for removing stripped cotton therefrom, said rotary cleaner member being arranged longitudinally opposite the exit end of one of said stripping plates in vertically offset relation to said spindle exit end of said gap so that said spindles upon leaving the exit end of said gap will be free to return to said horizontal plane without contacting said cleaner member.

at. In a cotton picking machine having a set of cotton gathering spindles normally traveling in a horizontal plane and a pair of vertically spaced stripping plates defining therebetween an elongated gap for the passage of spindles therethrough, said stripping plates having opposite spindle entrance and exit ends, respectively, the improvement comprising means mounting said stripping plates in generally parallel relation to each other and in angular relation to said horizontal plane so that the spindle entrance end of said gap will substantially coincide with said plane and so that the spindle exit end of said gap will be elevated above said plane, and a rotary cleaner disk operatively mounted for ro tation on a vertically extending axis disposed adjacent the exit ends of said stripping plates for removing cotton therefrom, said cleaner disk being positioned longitudinally opposite the exit end of the upper one of said plates so that said spindles upon leaving the exit end of said gap will be free to return to said horizontal plane without contacting said cleaner disk.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 685,441 Campbell Oct. 29, 1901 840,367 Piper Jan. 1, 1907 1,008,229 White Nov. 7, 1911 1,668,247 Morava May 1, 1928 1,828,534 Johnston et a1 Oct. 20, 1931 2,023,491 Rust et al Dec. 10, 1935 2,034,907 Johnston Mar. 24, 1936 2,200,303 Rust May 14, 1940 2,577,367 Rust Dec. 4, 1951 

